African leaders meet to push peace talks in South Sudan

Dec. 26, 2013
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Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, left, and South Sudan President Silva Kiir, right, inspect a guard of honor as the Kenyan president arrives in Juba, South Sudan, for peace talks on Dec. 26, 2013. / Kenyan Presidential Press Service via AP

by Joseph Edwards and Jabeen Bhatti, Special for USA TODAY

by Joseph Edwards and Jabeen Bhatti, Special for USA TODAY

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JUBA, South Sudan - Fighting continued Thursday as African leaders met in an attempt to bring an end to the hostilities that are threatening to erupt into civil war.

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn met with South Sudanese President Salva Kiir on Thursday to push peace talks between the president and the rebels after violence broke out this month following an alleged coup attempt led by former vice president Riek Machar.

Government troops continued to battle to retake control of Bentiu, the capital of Unity state, from forces loyal to Machar, who is believed to be leading the rebels, telling local media he wants to divert oil revenues. Fighting was also reported in Malakal, the capital of Upper Nile state, according to the president. Those two states make up the key oil-producing regions of South Sudan, which gets about 99% of its revenue from oil.

Bor, the capital of Jonglei state, was retaken Wednesday after a week-long fight by the Sudan People Liberation Army, leaving thousands near starvation, government officials said.

"Thousands of civilians in Bor are left desperate without hope of food," said South Sudanese Minister of Information Michael Makui, who visited Bor and appealed for humanitarian organizations to help.

No one has been able to contact Machar, but government officials say he has posted a list of demands before negotiations can take place including the release of all politicians detained in the country's capital, Juba. This month. the government arrested 10 suspected of involvement in the alleged coup attempt in Juba.

The government, meanwhile, insists that rebels lay down their arms before any peace talks can occur.

The international community remains concerned about the situation in the country in which thousands are believed to have been killed and more than 100,000 displaced since Dec. 15 when a fight broke out among the presidential guard. Then, the president's Dinka ethnic group fought those from the vice president's Nuer tribe, escalating long-simmering tensions.

U.N. officials said this week that they are investigating reports of mass killings. The agency also said the country urgently needs more than $150 million in aid to prevent starvation and to provide shelter and health care.

"Emergency latrines are being dug, high-energy biscuits provided to meet urgent nutritional needs of children and other vulnerable people, and emergency surgical supplies, drugs and reproductive health kits delivered to hospitals," said U.N. Humanitarian Coordinator for South Sudan Toby Lanzer.

South Sudan peacefully broke away from Sudan in 2011 after decades of war with its more powerful neighbor. The new country is one of the world's poorest and most undeveloped nations. Tribal conflicts have broken out in most of the country since its independence.